Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou has challenged the next Harry Kewell to stand up.
The Socceroos legend and former English Premier League star on Wednesday announced he’ll retire at the end of this A-League season, calling time on one of Australian football’s most distinguished careers.
Postecoglou paid tribute to the Melbourne Heart striker and noted the 35-year-old created a massive buzz in Australia.
The coach, who will be taking a relatively young squad to this year’s World Cup in Brazil, said now was the time for the next Kewell to emerge.
“I don’t think it was just how good he was – I think he was exciting and we haven’t had many exciting players,” Postecoglou said on Wednesday.
“Particularly in those early days, every time he got the ball you just sensed something special could happen.
“The fact that we keep talking about the next Harry Kewell just shows the impact he’s had on Australian football.
“That’s the opportunity that exists right now.
“So it’s up to the individual players now to build up their careers to try and surpass the feats of the past but it’s not an easy thing to do because he’s left a massive legacy.”
Being a Liverpool supporter Postecoglou’s fondest memories are of Kewell’s time with the English giant.
Postecoglou took the helm at Victory after Kewell had left the club but said he would have loved to work with him.
He wouldn’t be drawn on whether Kewell had called him to tell him of his impending retirement before making the announcement.
“When a player calls time on his career I think he should be afforded the respect to do it in his way, I’m certainly going to do that,” Postecoglou said.
Kewell’s former Socceroos teammate Craig Moore called him a “fantastic ambassador for our game”.
Moore recalled the hype that surrounded Kewell as a 17-year-old when he signed for English club Leeds.
He counts Kewell’s first international goal away to Iran during the Socceroos’ `98 World Cup qualifying campaign, which silenced a crowd of over 100,000, and the goal he scored against Croatia at the 2006 World Cup, which secured Australia’s berth into the second round, as highlights.
But Moore said while Kewell will be remembered most for his feats as a striker, left wing was where he really impressed.
“I know he thought eventually that he was a striker but for me his best days, when he was hot, was wide on the left,” Moore said.
“He had a little bit of cheek about him, he had the back heels, he had the flicks and was just very exciting.”
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I have often wondered if things like the A-League providing an easier path for young players in this country might produce more good players but reduce the chance of the really great players coming along. It's got to take someone special to succeed doing something like Harry did, going to England as a 14 year old, but it forces him to be someone special to make it. Now players can make it to the A-League and have a career without having to go as hard as someone like Harry had to in order to make it where he did. It's interesting to see how these young players coming through the A-League and then heading overseas are just about all going to much smaller clubs in smaller leagues, we aren't getting the Aussie players being top players in EPL teams anymore. And the ones that are in decent top leagues across Europe are more solid team players, rather than the stars of the team like Kewell, Viduka, Cahill, Emerton were.
danno
Guest
It will take a huge amount of luck for 'the next kewell' to emerge. We need a fantastic athlete who also happens to come from a footballing family and gets the right training from a young age. We're not like other countries where the best athletes usually become footballers because we have to compete with a lot of other sports.
vinnie
Guest
the best hope we have is for kids to leave the country as young as possible. the way the kids are being coached these days its just pass and move drills over and over again, with individual skills taking a back seat. the last 3 U/17's and 3 U/20's is proof, all failures, and not one player with indiidual skill reminicent of a Harry kewell
Brick Tamland of the Pants Party
Guest
The sad part is it would take three or four of our best young players now moulded into one to make a Kewell at his best.Touch and dribbling skills of Rogic,strength and directness of Leckie,speed of Oar and I really can't think of a young player who had his vision.